Board of Directors

Nikki Farago is an attorney with nearly two decades of experience advocating for children and families. Her career includes 13 years of executive leadership in Minnesota state government, where she provided strategic direction and managerial oversight for agency-wide functions, including legislative operations, communications, and external relations. During her time in state government, Nikki also served on several statewide committees focused on improving outcomes for children and families across Minnesota.

In addition to her leadership experience, Nikki is an experienced litigator in child protection cases and has authored publications related to child welfare and child safety. She holds a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Nikki joined Children’s Law Center of Minnesota as Executive Director with a deep commitment to ensuring that children and youth—particularly those involved in the child welfare system—have a strong voice and effective legal representation. She leads CLC’s dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteer attorneys who work to protect the rights and well-being of children throughout Minnesota.

Bill is an Officer at Fredrikson and Byron, P.A., and has been practicing environmental law in a number of contexts for nearly 30 years. He is also a proud 22-year Children’s Law Center volunteer attorney and proud to serve as the Board’s Chair.

Leah Kippola-Friske is a litigation attorney and partner at Maslon LLP. Leah focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, insurance coverage, and construction and real estate matters. She is also a proud CLC volunteer attorney. Leah is driven by the conviction that every child in foster care deserves a trusted voice and advocate at their side as they navigate the legal system.

Lauren is passionate about championing the rights of the disadvantaged and helping ensure equal access to and just treatment from the legal system. She believes that everyone deserves a voice and an opportunity to be heard, which is one of the many reasons why she has been a longstanding supporter of CLC in various capacities, including on the board and as an officer. Lauren is an attorney with Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, where she provides legal representation to individuals subject to civil commitment.

Holley Horrell, partner at Greene Espel PLLP, represents business clients in disputes ranging from breach-of-contract claims to complex coordinated antitrust litigation to trust instruction proceedings. She also regularly represents clients in copyright and trademark infringement lawsuits in federal court and has appeared before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Holley maintains an active pro bono practice, providing legal services to those who otherwise couldn’t afford them, including as a volunteer attorney with CLC.